What's Special About Third Grade?

The students will work in small groups (3-6 students in each) to plan, record, create, edit, and publish a short video (3-5 minutes) describing what new third graders can expect in their new grade level.

Planning-Each group will decide what they feel are the most important aspects of third grade and what changes new students should be aware of (for example, transitions among classrooms, schedule, teachers, etc.). They will also decide the best way to present the information for each aspect (interview, narrative, photograph, video, etc.). The groups should develop a written plan including the order of their topics, an estimated time frame for each piece of the video, a needs list for the video project, and a list of each video segment or photograph the group needs to take. (The teacher will then compile a list of required video segments and photographs to better plan the recording phase of the project).

Recording-Students will be responsible for using digital still cameras and Flip video cameras to photograph and record all of the needed pieces for their project. All parts of the project will be downloaded and saved to a flash drive for the group to use, with a backup copy saved on the teacher's computer.

Creating/Editing- Groups will use video editing software (Tool Factory Movie Maker, Windows Live Movie Maker, etc.) to put their project pieces in order, add title slides and transitions. Then the groups will review their projects and edit out any unnecessary information or mistakes, and possibly rerecord any needed segments. The final step of this process is a group review, where other groups observe the video and offer constructive feedback on each group's project. The group then return to their project and make any necessary changes.

Publishing-The groups will utilize the same software to publish their videos, which will be saved on the flash drives and presented to the incoming third graders. This can be done in their second grade classrooms, at a school assembly, at school registration, or at Meet Your New Teacher Day.